How could one prepare for a pandemic flu?

We've had a couple recent threads about this sort of topic. Maybe we're all talked out. See this thread started a couple days ago. This one was about Tamiflu. And this one from a few weeks ago was on vaccinations in general, but might have some informative stuff for you.

Latest news flash--H5N1 strain of avian flu confirmed in Turkish turkey farm (Turkish turkeys? That's what the news article said!). 7,600 birds destroyed after 1,800 of them died from it. Seems like the authorities have things pretty well controlled.

Darn migratory birds are gradually carrying it across the entire Eurasian continent. Hey, there's one idea that no one has suggested on the forum yet--ban all international movement of migratory birds. While we're at it, lets ban the spread of air pollution across borders, too. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Hey, you are late .....
French gvt did this a few years ago, to prevent the radioactiv clouds from Chernobyl to enter french territory ...
well, that's more or less what they explained at the time ... <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

While we're on the topic of bird migrations, here's an excellent map showing migratory patterns across Europe, Asia, and Africe from this BBC article which confirms that the bird flu in Romania is indeed the H5N1 strain.

Get a flu shot, get a specific one for this IF they develop one, wash your hands, cough in your elbow, don't shake hands- learn to bow.

Other than that, wait for it and if you get sick, isolate yourself, hydrate, antipyretics (asprin or tylenol), and sleep. Check in with your doc. IF you get it, hope that there is enough unhoarded tamiflu left to give to care providers and those who require hosipitalization.

Basically, this is an alien enough strain, it will effect a normal, healthy person the same way a "common" flu strain effects someone with a compromised respiratory system. It's just like a normal flu, but a lot, lot worse.

Other than that, there isn't a thing you can do other than don't hoard tamiflu. I have nightmares about an epidemic, becuase after the first index patients, the next persons to catch it in area "x" are going to be EMT/Para, nurses and docs. Tamiflu is apparently as close to a specific for this strain as exists, and if there isn't enough for medicos, they will be at greatest risk.Once they get it, they are out of the game, which makes it all that much harder.

Looks like H5N1 has already morphed enough to be resistant to Tamiflu , which is a brand name for oseltamivir. A 14 year old girl in Vietnam has been found to have the resistant variant. However, another anti-viral, zanamivir, sold by GlaxoSmithKline under the brand name Relenza is still effective. If you're really concerned about stockpiling anti avian flu drugs, then you should stock both.

The full article can be read at the following link. It will probably only be available for a couple of days.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/st...1014?hub=Health

Greeeat. <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Actually, I ask people to NOT stockpile, there isn't enough of the material in country on hand.

I second ironraven's suggestion to NOT get your own personal stockpile of anti-virals. Gov'ts around the world are trying to build up strategic reserves of Tamiflu and Relenza right now and both are in generally short supply. Hoarding by private citizens will just jack up the prices and may make them unavailable to the people who need them the most when the time comes.

I'm with you guys on not stockpiling antiviral drugs. I don't think it's the best stragegy. Besides, there's a strong chance that whatever you stockpile will be useless anyway as H5N1 mutates.

Stay healthy - get a flu shot, eat right, get lots of sleep and wash your hands often - that's probably a far better strategy than stockpiling drugs.

Here's a good read about hand washing :

http://www.cap.org/apps/docs/fact_sheets/germs.htm

Frankie